I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to devices commonly known as gambrels, and more particularly to gambrels which are simple in construction for suspending the carcasses of slaughtered animals especially in a field dressing environment.
II. Description of the Related Art
Typically, devices to which this invention pertains are widely used in the hunting environment and in slaughter houses, but more particularly are used by hunters for hanging a slaughtered game animal in order to support the carcass when field dressing the carcass. In addition, gambrels, such as disclosed herein, are further utilized for supporting an animal in a hanging position to retain and preserve the animal at later stages of the processing.
There are many gambrel devices known in the prior art, however, most of them are complex, have many parts which are easily lost, are heavy to transport by one person through the woods for an extended period of time, and are not simple in use.
The practical gambrel device should be one which is easily folded into a compact assembly with relative ease of assembly and disassembly, for convenience of storage and transportation and is easy to use. In addition, such a gambrel device should also be of simple design without having multiple parts which are easily lost or misplaced in the hunting environment.
A typical device of the prior art is the patent to Roskopf (U.S. Pat. No. 1,030,683) which discloses a telescoping type device having a hanger hook connected to a center portion into which one fixed portion is placed at one end thereof, and at the other end of the center portion there is a telescoping member which is capable of telescoping into the unit for compact storage. However, in this particular device, the system of fixing the gambrel at the extended position, or at the closed position, requires relatively small parts to be utilized which again are easily lost in the field.
In the Knudson patent (U.S. Pat. No. 1,085,439) a telescoping gambrel is shown which is capable of being folded due to the heavy gauge wire construction, but, again, the device does not have a convenient method of opening and closing and utilizes, again, small parts which are easily lost in the field.
The patent to Shank (U.S. Pat. No. 1,311,779) discloses a type of gambrel which is adjustable and apparently can be reduced in size for easier transportation, but the method of maintaining the arms of the gambrel in an extended condition leaves much to be desired from a standpoint of strength.
The gambrel shown in the patent to McGrath (U.S. Pat. No. 1,148,393) is a tubular telescoping type device, but is of complex construction and is of such a heavy weight that it would be impractical for field use.
Another tubular type of collapsible telescoping gambrel is shown in the patent to Blasi (U.S. Pat. No. 4,909,555) and, again, such device as shown herein is of considerable weight and has many parts therein for maintaining the tube in an extended position which makes it impractical for field use.